Varsity flex: Elite university down jackets go viral

What happened This winter, China’s down jacket market is heating up. Chinese outerwear giant Bosideng appointed former Dior Men artistic director Kim Jones as creative director for its new Areal urban line in October. Luxury brand Moncler cast The Godfather stars Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in its latest campaign. Yet the real surprise came on December 12: Renmin University’s down jackets sold out almost instantly, and trended on Weibo with 24.61 million views. The catalyst was a Xiaohongshu (also known as RedNote) by Renmin University Party Secretary Zhang Donggang (@人大刚子) announcing the newly launched “Renmin Ultra-Down Jacket.” The post showcased a red jacket emblazoned with the university logo, highlighted different styles, and listed offline purchase locations. By the time of publication, it had received 935 likes, 128 saves, and 618 comments. The market response was immediate. On the official “Renmin Hongchuang (人大红创)” WeChat mini-program, the red long coat and white short jacket sold out within hours, while social media buzzed with requests for resellers. The collection included long coats (899 RMB / $126), short coats (599 RMB / $84), and children’s styles (200 RMB / $28), with bundled options for couples (1,298 RMB / $182) and families of four (1,798 RMB / $252). What’s driving the university jacket craze Beyond Renmin, Tsinghua University teamed up with Adidas this winter to release a long down coat priced at 1,399 RMB ($196), which quickly became a top seller on the official Tsinghua Impression (清华印象) store. This was not their first collaboration — in April, their inaugural limited collection of T-shirts, caps, and backpacks (129 RMB–899 RMB / $18-$126) sold out within hours. The Jing Take Chinese university cultural products have increasingly become market hits. Their appeal stems from several factors. First, emotional resonance and identity. These products tap into consumers’ high regard of China’s elite universities, reaching not only students and alumni but also the broader public aspiring to academic prestige. Wearing these items signals an emotional connection and a declaration of identity, satisfying a desire for cultural and social belonging. Second, competitive pricing. Renmin University's jackets — priced at 899 RMB ($126) for the long coat and 599 RMB ($84) for the short coat — undercut comparable quality outerwear. The combination of practical warmth, cultural symbolism, and accessible pricing provides emotional and functional value Third, social media amplification. University leaders personally endorsed the jackets while students and alumni shared posts and requested purchases, creating networked word-of-mouth that lowered distribution barriers and reinforced collective identity. What began as campus merchandise quickly evolved into broader social currency. WeChat hype, Xiaohongshu buzz: How the jackets went viral The rise of university down jackets signals a shift: once purely functional winter wear, they now carry emotion, identity, and cultural resonance. Renmin and Tsinghua sidestep the traditional path of high pricing and luxury storytelling, instead cultivating emotional ties and collective identity within specific circles. Purchases driven by alma mater pride or admiration for elite universities create a market built on trust and belonging — their core barrier lies not in fabric or cut, but in cultural capital and intergenerational memory. In contrast, traditional luxury outerwear faces mounting challenges. High-end brands like Canada Goose, long reliant on premium pricing and luxury narratives, are confronting a more rational consumer landscape. While financial reports show continued growth in Asia-Pacific, particularly Greater China, underlying pressures persist. Consumers — especially younger buyers shaping future demand — are losing interest in brand prestige alone. They are increasingly reluctant to pay premiums for adventure narratives or symbolic status, instead prioritizing functional design, value, and cultural resonance. This is not a critique of craftsmanship or legacy, but an observation: in today’s China, the narrative logic that once fueled brand growth is increasingly misaligned with the emotional connections sought by younger consumers. Premium branding without cultural roots or authentic resonance is losing its pull. From alma mater pride to market power Meanwhile, the unexpected success of university jackets charts a different path. While many brands lean on international resources for validation — exemplified by Bosideng’s hiring of Jones — China’s top universities evoke emotional memory and identity with just a logo. This shift in narrative authority demonstrates that the most commercially valuable brand symbols are rooted in local culture. The next challenge is converting cultural resonance into sustained value through continuous innovation and reliable quality. The question isn’t just about jacket lifespan — it’s whether the “China story” in consumer culture can evolve from compelling narrative into lasting, market-tested symbol. The Jing Take reports on a piece of the leading news and presents our editorial team’s analysis of the key implications for the luxury industry. In the recurring column, we analyze everything from product drops and mergers to heated debate sprouting on Chinese social media.

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Varsity flex: Elite university down jackets go viral